Loving Kagome
by jarnol1991
Summary: Nurse Kagome Higurashi needed a date for Thanksgiving- fast!. Mr. Charming himself appeared to escort her. She found herself hoping their pretend relationship would blossom into true love. Kag/Sess. Full summary inside. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Inuyasha and characters or the this story because Cynthia Rutledge had wrote the story of Loving Grace.

Summary : Nurse Kagome Higurashi needed a date for Thanksgiving- fast!. When she prayed for a handsome prince, suddenly Mr. Charming himself, Dr. Sessho Tashio, appeared to escort her! At the feast, Sessho convinced everyone that he was Kagome's adoring boyfriend, the man she'd been waiting for- and she found herself hoping their pretend relationship would blossom into true love

--

Chapter One

Dr. Sesshomaru Tashio shrugged off his lab coat with a tired groan. Though he enjoyed the one evening a month he volunteered at the free clinic, he'd started the day with an emergency surgery at 6:00 a.m. and it was now almost midnight.

"How many patients do you think we saw tonight?" Dr. Kouga Wolf collapsed on the wooden bench in front of the row of lockers that made up the doctor's lounge. "A hundred?"

"Felt like it," Sessho said. "I'm sure ready for some downtime."

"Know what you're doing for Thanksgiving yet?" Kouga asked, casting Sessho a sideways glance.

"As a matter of fact, I've decided to go home with what's-her-name for Thanksgiving." For some reason, saying the words out loud solidified Sessho's impulsive decision. "I'm in the mood for something different this year."

Actually going off for the weekend with a woman he barely knew was more crazy than different, but Sessho didn't care. The way he saw it he had two choices: fight off his sister's friend all weekend or spend the holiday with a virtual stranger.

"Who are you talking about?" Kouga tilted his head and stared as if Sessho were speaking a foreign language.

Sessho couldn't figure out why Kouga was being so obtuse. After all, his friend was the one who'd told him earlier in the evening that the woman desperately needed a fill-in boyfriend for the weekend. Sessho frowned and tried to recall her name. Jenny kept popping into his head but that didn't sound right. "You know very well who I mean. The one with green eyes at the front desk."

"Kagome Higurashi?" Kouga lifted a sandy-colored brow. "The clinic director?"

_Kagome. _Sessho smiled. The name had a classic elegance and rolled easily off his tongue.

"That's the one," Sessho said. "I've decided to help her out and go home with her this weekend."

Kouga laughed out loud, the sound echoing all the way to the exposed rafters. "Let me get this straight. You don't even know her name, but you're willing to pose as her boyfriend for four days?"

"I do know her name," Sessho said matter-of-factly, hanging his lab coat in the locker. "It's Kagome Higushy."

"Higurashi."

"Whatever." Sessho grabbed his jacket and shut the locket door. He fastened the combination lock and gave it a spin.

"It doesn't make sense." Kouga's brow drew together in a puzzled frown. "Why would you want to spend your four days off with a stranger when you have a perfectly nice family right here in St. Louis?"

Sessho had to concede that point. He did have a perfectly nice family, and Thanksgiving had always been one of his favorite holidays. Even now, thinking about his mother's turkey and stuffing, candied yams and pumpkin pie made his mouth water. And after they were all nice and full, he and his brothers would play some football before setting down in front of the tube to watch a few games.

But this year would be different. He'd known it the minute his brother Iunyasha had told him what their sister had planned. "Because this year Rin is bringing one of her sorority sister. She seems to think this woman would be a perfect fit for me. It's supposed to be a surpise, but my brother thought he should warn me."

"Is she in the medical field?"

"It doesn't matter." Sessho raked a hand though his hair. "I don't want to date one of my sister's friends."

"Why not?" Kouga stared curiously at Sesshomaru. "I've seen your sister. She's gorgeous. Chances are her friend is going to be hot."

"I don't want to date anyone remotely associated with my sister." Sessho repeated, more forcefully since it appeared Kouga was having difficulty getting the message.

"Hmm. That is a problem." Kouga thought for a moment. "I've got a radical idea. Tell her you're not interested."

Sessho smiled. He supposed it did sound ridiculous...to someone who didn't know his sister. "That wouldn't stop Rin. She'd be convinced that, given time, I'd change my mind."

"But it's Thanksgiving. You don't want to be with a stranger," Kouga said. "Why don't you call up Ayumi or Yuka or one of the others you've dated recently? I'm sure they'd be thrilled to cook you dinner or take you home to meet mom and dad."

Sessho could spend the next ten years explaining to Kouga that it wasn't fun dating woman like Ayumi, who'd already decided she loved him before knowing him, or Yuka, who'd started talking about rings after the third date. But Kouga would never understand. Although Kouga was a good guy, woman never seemed to find him attractive.

"What can I say?" Sessho shrugged. "I'm in the mood for something different. And it sounds like this woman, this Kagome, is desperate."

"Not desperate enough to take you."

Sessho thought he might have heard Kouga wrong. But the hint of satisfaction in Kouga's eyes told Nick he'd gotten it right. "What do you mean by that?"

"She told me she doesn't like you," Kouga said.

Sessho raiaed a brow and briefly considered the thought. "That's because she doesn't know me."

Kouga laughed. "I bet she says no."

"She'll agree," Sessho said with a confident smile.

"Maybe so," Kouga said after a long moment. "But ten bucks says you won't get so much as a single kiss from her this weekend."

Sessho shook his head. Kouga still didn't get it.

He wasn't looking for kisses.

All he wanted was a nice weekend with some turkey and pumpkin pie.

Nothing more.

--

Do you have a minute?"

Kagome Higurashi's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the deep voice. She'd often thought that with such a smooth, rice baritone, Sessho Tashio could have has a successful career in radio. She raised her gaze from the evening's schedule and amended her thoughts. Sticking such a man behind a microphone would have been a waste. "Dr. Sess" - as the children who visited the clinic called him - was too handsome _not_ to be seen. Even now, with lines of fatigue edging his eyes and five o'clock stubble darkening his cheeks, the sight of him made her pulse quicken.

Dressed casually in a gray sweater that accented his broad shoulders and navy pants that emphasize his lean hips, Sessho looked more like a _GQ_ model than a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. It was easy to see why he'd been named one St. Louis's top ten most eligible bachelors.

Though Kagome acknowledged his good looks, she wasn't impressed. She didn't like handsome men. It had been her experience that attractive tended to be arrogant and proud instead of praising God for the blessing of physical beauty. From what she'd seen of Sessho Tashio, he fit the mold.

"What can I do for you, Doctor?" Kagome used her most professional voice.

He shot her a smile and the dimple in his cheek flashed. "You can start by calling me Sessho."

"O-kay." Despite her resolve to keep him at arm's length, she found herself wanting to smile back. Instead she lifted a brow. "What can I do for you, _Sessho_?"

Sessho hesitated, and for a moment a hint of uncertainty crept in his gaze. But then the dimple flashed in his cheek once and he gestured to the chair next to her desk. "Mind if I sit?"

"Of course not." Kagome grabbed the pile of charts off the seat and set them on top of the stack on her desk. "Have a seat."

This time her tone more approachable. After all, part of her job as director of the free clinic was to keep the physician volunteers happy. It wasn't always easy to find doctors willing to lengthen their already-overextended workday by several hours. Specialists were especially hard to find. Most tried it a couple of times and never came back. But Dr. Sessho had been volunteering once a month at the specialty clinic for almost a year.

Though Kagome had been the clinic director for the entire time, she couldn't say she really knew him. Unlike Kouga Wolf and some of the others doctors who'd hang around after clinic hours to talk, Sessho Tashio always arrived right before his shift began and left immediately after seeing the last patient.

Once, when he'd raced by her yet again without even a hello, she casually mentioned his aloofness to Kouga. Of course, Kouga stood up for his colleague, mumbling something about Sessho hating to keep patients waiting. Kagome didn't but that phony excuse for a minute. She knew if she looked like Eri, he'd have found time to stop and talk. But a skinny thirty-year-old didn't rate a second glance.

"Busy evening," he said conversationally, his broad hands folded loosely in his lap.

Kagome nodded. Every appointment slot had been filled this evening and most had been double-booked to cover the no-shows. Unfortunately every patient had shown up, which meant the staff were all getting out a lot later than usual.

Though Sessho had never complained about working late before, she'd overheard him tell one of the nurses he'd been in surgery all morning. Her blood ran cold.

_What if he want stop quit? What if that was why he he'd stopped to talk?_

"I'm sorry about the patient volume, but there's so much need in this neighborhood." Kagome leaned forward, fear making the words tumble out one after the other. "You're doing a great job. And we appreciate it. I don't ever want you to think we take you for granted."

He sat back in his chair and stared at her long moment. Kagome realized for the first time that his eyes weren't hazel as she'd thought, but a mesmerizing blue-green color with flecks of gold. Feeling the need for some air, Kagome took a deep breath and inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne.

"..giving back."

Kagome widened her her eyes and realized that while she'd been staring at him, he'd been talking. Heat rose up her neck and she mentally kicked herself. No wonder handsome guys were arrogant, with women like her hanging on their every word. Or in her case, too busy gawking to hear anything at all. It was almost laughable. She, who'd always insisted she didn't like handsome men, was acting like a hormone-charged sixteen-year-old. Her lips twitched.

"You find something amusing?"

"Yes," she said. "I mean no."

Kagome groaned to herself. Could she come across as any more of a blithering idiot than she did at this very moment? It hardly seemed possible. She brushed a piece of hair back from her face and tried to regain her composure.

Kagome forced the disturbing images from her thoughts.

"I hear you're looking for a boyfriend."

She tilted her head, sure she'd misunderstood. "What you say?"

"Kouga told me you need a date for Thanksgiving weekend," he said. "Is that true?"

By now Kagome's head was spinning. The doctor's ability to change the Last month when she'd decided to bite the bullet and go home for the holiday, she didn't think she'd have any trouble finding someone. After all, she had alot of guy friends and she didn't care who came with her.

Unfortunately, one by one, the men she'd had in mind turned her down. Oh, they all had good reasons, but the fact was she was stuck. She'd told her family she'd be bringing her new boyfriend. How could she say she was coming alone? Again.

Turning thirty was bad enough. But to show up all by herself when her little sister, Sango, would be there with her husband and new baby? No way.

Kagome knew she was being silly and immature. She had so many things to be grateful for: good health, good friends and a rewarding job. Not having a boyfriend was such a minor thing in the grand scheme of life. So many people had so much less. She saw it at her job every day.

But still, all she'd ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. And she couldn't understand how her sister had ended up with her dream life. It was as if God had gotten the two sisters' prayers mixed up. Sango had been determined to have a career. But she'd fallen in love while she was still in college and married shortly after graduation. Kirara had been born on Sango's fifth wedding anniversary.

Kagome, meanwhile, had a career, but no husband or family. And last month she'd hit the big three-oh with no Mr. Right in sight.

"Kagome?"

Once again the deep voice beckoned her back to the present.

"I apologize," she said, rapidly collecting her thoughts. "Where were we?"

"I asked if you you'd found someone to go with you for Thanksgiving," he said with an indulgent smile. "You said you hadn't."

Kagome raised a brow.

"The point is, I've found someone to go with you," he said.

Kagome tried to still her excitement. Thanksgiving was only two away and she'd almost given up hope. Kagome leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. "Who is he?"

"Me." Sessho sat back and smiled. "I'll go with you."

Kagome's cheeks burned like she'd just been slapped. Hard. She tried to stem her embarrassment, but when she spoke, humiliation made her voice harsh and tight. "What kind of game are you playing? Did Kouga put you up to this?"

Sessho met her gaze with a puzzled look. "I'm not playing any game."

"_You_ want to go with _me_?" Kagome shook her hand. "I don't get it."

"It's true," Sessho said lightly. "I'm at loose ends this weekend, and getting away from it all sounds like just what the doctor ordered."

Kagome stared, wondering what kind of bet he had with Kouga. She could just imagine the two laughing their heads off in the back room, thinking she'd be stupid enough to snap up the bogus offer.

She pressed her lips together to still the trembling. She'd never had someone play such a cruel trick on her before.

Sessho's smile faded. He pushed back the chair and slowly rose to his feet, staring at her for a long moment. "If you don't want me to go with you, just say so."

He met her gaze head-on and his tone was so sincere Kagome wondered if she'd been mistaken. After all, though he'd been aloof, she'd never known him to be mean. She took a chance and offered him a tiny smile. "It's not that. It's just, it's hard for me to understand why you would give up your Thanksgiving to come to Iowa with me."

"My sister is playing matchmaker again," he said, resuming his seat. "I'm not in the mood. It's been a hectic couple of months and I just want to relax. Eat some turkey, have some pie..." He stopped suddenly and frowned. "Your parents aren't vegetarian, are they?"

Kagome had to laugh. Vegetarian? Her grandfather wouldn't allow tofu in the house, and the only kind of beans he liked were baked with lots of bacon fat. "They're Iowa farmers. Real meat-and-potatoes kind of people."

"Meat and potatoes are good." Sessho nodded approvingly. "What about pie?"

"Pumpkin, mince, pecan and cherry." Kagome counted them off on her fingers. "With real whipped cream, of course."

"I love whipped cream," Sessho said in a deliciously deep voice.

"I do, too." Kagome returned his smile. And as she was pulled into the azure depths of his eyes, Kagome realized she was about to do something incredibly stupid.

She was going to accept Sessho Tashio's offer.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Inuyasha and characters or the this story because Cynthia Rutledge had wrote the story of Loving Grace.

Summary : Nurse Kagome Higurashi needed a date for Thanksgiving- fast!. When she prayed for a handsome prince, suddenly Mr. Charming himself, Dr. Sessho Tashio, appeared to escort her! At the feast, Sessho convinced everyone that he was Kagome's adoring boyfriend, the man she'd been waiting for- and she found herself hoping their pretend relationship would blossom into true love

--

Sorry about the wait...

Chapter Two

The farmyard was filled with cars but Sessho was able to find a spot for his Land Rover just east of the barn. Kagome waited for Sessho to open her car door. It hadn't taken her long to realize that the handsome Dr. Tashio was a rarity in today's modern world, a true gentleman. He'd insisted on carrying her overnight bag to the car and on opening the door. Though Kagome could have easily handled either task, she had to admit she like the pampering.

As they walked toward the house Kagome slanted him a sideways glance. How a guy could look so good in a sweatshirt and blue jeans boggled her mind. The jeans were nothing special but the way they hugged his muscular legs did crazy things to Kagome's pulse.

Of course she blamed her reaction on the fact that she'd rarely seen him in anything other than dress pants and a white lab coat. When he'd asked her what he should wear, she'd hesitated for a second before telling him honestly that holidays in the Higurashi family were extremely casual and that most of the men would probably be wearing jeans and sweatshirts.

To his credit, he didn't act surprised but merely smiled and said something about it sounding good. She knew he was just being polite. His family was quite prominent in the St. Louis social scene and Kagome had no doubt that Thanksgiving dinner in the Tashio household would include china, crystal and candlelight. Why, she wouldn't be surprised if they wore ties to the table.

_Dear God, why did I ever think this would work?_

"Looks like your dad farms quite a few acres." Sessho's pleasant voice brought her back to the present.

"How'd you guess?" Kagome hated talking farming but her stomach was a mass of nerves and she hoped some light conversation might have a settling effect.

Sessho gestured with his head toward several large storage silos. "Those were my first clue."

His smile was so warm and friendly that Kagome couldn't help but return it. And for a fleeting moment she forgot to worry about how she was going to make it through the weekend. Unfortunately, the minute she set foot on the front porch and heard the buzz of conversation from inside the house, her neck tightened into a thousand knots. "This was a mistake."

"Just relax." He treated her to a flash of dimples. "These are your family members. If anyone should be nervous, it should be me."

Shame filled her. He was doing her a favor and all she'd been able to think about was herself. She hadn't for a moment considered that Sessho might have some qualms about the weekend.

"Are you?" She asked. "Nervous, I mean?"

Sessho shrugged. "Not really. I've played the boyfriend role enough in real life to have it down pat. I can do the devoted act in my sleep."

Though Kagome smiled, his words were clearly a warning, one she'd better heed. It would be so easy to get caught up in this charade and forget it was just a game. She Had to remember that men like Sessho Tashio only fell for the girl-next-door plain-Jane type in the movies, not in real life.

She reached for the screen door, but Sessho beat her to it. "Allow me."

A moment later, Kagome stood on the doorway to the home that had been in her family since the early 1900s and inhaled the atmosphere. The grandfather clock her father had built stood in one corner. The lace doilies her mother had tatted one summer graced the antique side table. Everything was so familiar. An overwhelming urge to call it all off nipped at her tightly held control.

How many times had she imagined bringing home a handsome man to meet her parents? How many times had she prayed that God would send her a man she could love and respect? How many times had she told herself to be patient and remember that things happen in God's time?

So what was she doing stooping a childish game of Let's Pretend? Though Sessho had already brought their bags inside and set them down in a corner of the foyer, Kagome was seized with a sudden urge to flee.

As if Sessho could read he mind, he reached up and rested his hand gently on her neck, rubbing it with slow circular motions. The mere touch of his fingers forced all rational thoughts from her head.

"Relax." His voice was as low and soothing as his fingers. "We can pull this off."

_We_

Kagome released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and reminded herself she wasn't in this alone. For whatever reason, Sessho had consented to be a part of this charade.

Propelled by emotions she couldn't begin to identify, Kagome turned toward the man and lifted her face to his.

The appreciation in his eyes took her by surprise and she took a stumbling step backward. She would have fallen if he hadn't grasped her arm, offering her a steadying hand.

"Kagome."

Kagome's heart stilled.

Nosy Aunt K had spotted them.

Kagome forced a smile to her face and gave a casual wave even as her heart sank. She'd known she'd have to face her aunt sometime this weekend, but she hadn't planned to be torpedoed the minute she and Sessho walked though the door of the family farmhouse.

Kagome knew it was ridiculous, the way her stomach twisted in knots over a middle-aged woman in a purple jogging suit.

But this wasn't just any woman. Her mother's sister had been meddling in Kagome's life since she'd had the unfortunate luck to be born with her aunt's coppery red hair. According to her mother, K had wept with joy, declaring God had blessed her with a child after all.

Kagome thought her mother should have put a stop to such nonsense from the beginning. But the two sisters were close and her mother turned a blind eye to K's domineering ways. To be honest, Kagome had enjoyed having tow "mothers" when she was very young. But by the time she'd reached her teens, her aunt had become an interfering thorn in her side.

Kagome had quickly learned it did no good to complain. Her parents had quoted Leviticus 19:32 so much, the verse was permanently imprinted in her brain.

She should have warned Sessho about K. But what could she say? _My aunt looks sweet but she can be a pit bull when she's riled? _No, it was best he find out for himself. Maybe K would be on her good behavior this weekend. And then again, maybe pigs would fly.

Kagome grabbed his arm and tried to divert Sessho toward the kitchen, but she was too late. He'd caught sight of K weaving unsteadily as she made her way toward them and had stepped forward to help.

K's shakiness was highly suspicious. Though hampered by a recent knee surgery, when Kagome had first walked though the door, she'd seen K maneuvering and dexterity that Michael Jordan would have envied. but all of a sudden, she could barely stand?

Sessho reached out and her aunt clung to his arm, like he was a life preserver and she was about to go under for the last time.

"Sessho, she's fine," Kagome said. "Really."

But Sessho ignored her and kept hold of K's arm. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

K's bony legs trembled beneath the silky fabric and Kagome to assume her aunt had been faking. But then she remembered the time K had faked an asthma attack to keep Kagome from going to an after hours high school party. By the time Kagome had figured out the scam, she'd already called 9-1-1 and had the fire trucks at the house.

"Kagome." K opened her arms. "I've missed you."

"It's been a long time," Kagome murmured, giving her aunt a dutiful hug.

K clung to her for a moment before she stepped back and held Kagome at arm's length, her eyes large and pale behind the thick tortoiseshell trifocals. "I was worried you wouldn't come."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." The lie slid easily from Kagome's lips. "This is my first chance to see Sango and the baby."

"I'm glad to hear you're taking this might be difficult to hear you were bringing a young man. It can be hard for the older sister when the younger one has a husband and a family and she has no special--"

"Aunt K, really, it's no problem." Her aunt's words hit too close to home and Kagome spoke more sharply than she'd intended. "I don't need a man to feel okay about myself."

Her aunt's smile faded and Kagome cursed her impulsivity. Regardless of how she felt about her aunt's meddling, there was no call to be unkind.

"You may not need us--" Sessho looped his arm companionably around Kagome's shoulders "--but you have to admit, we're kind of nice to have around."

Kagome cast Sessho an appreciative smile. His off-the-wall comment had clearly eased the tension.

"You must be Kagome's new boyfriend." K cocked her head and studied Sessho, a smile teasing the corners of her lips.

Kagome tensed, ready for the game of Twenty Questions to begin.

"Sessho Tashio." Sessho extended his hand. "And you are--?"

Kagome groaned. She must be more nervous than she'd thought to have forgotten her manners. "Sessho, this is--"

"Kikyou Best," K said, without waiting for Kagome to finish. "Kagome's aunt."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Best," Sessho said, his voice filled with such sincerity, Kagome could only stare. She could see why all the women at the hospital were half in love with him. The man had charm down to a science.

"It's _Miss_ Best," K said, her smile widening. "But you can call me K." "K." Sessho rolled the word around on his tongue. He shook his head. "It just doesn't fit. May I call you Kikyou?"

K's eye widened in surprise and Kagome waited for her aunt to snap back some tart reply. Instead a pink duskiness touched K's cheeks. "If you'd like."

Kagome stared at her aunt. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone call you Kikyou."

"No one has in years,  
" K said, a faraway look in her eyes. Not since I was your age."

"Well, it's a beautiful name and it suits you."

A noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle escaped her aunt's lips. "Mr. Tashio, I can see my niece is going to have trouble keeping you in line."

"Kikyou," Sessho said in a teasing tone. "I insist you call me Sessho."

"Sessho," Her aunt rolled the name around on her tongue, just like Sessho had done only moments before. "Sesshomaru is much more of gentleman's name. May I call you Sesshomaru?"

Kagome stared. Either she was hallucinating or her sixty-year-old aunt was flirting.

Sessho laughed. "I never could refuse a beautiful Lady.  
"

"Sesshomaru," her aunt said in mock warning even as her laughter mingled with his. When K's gaze shifted to her niece, approval filled her eyes. "I like him, Kagome. This ones a keeper."

Kagome just smiled and nodded. If her aunt wanted to see Sessho Tashio as a knight in shining armor, so be it. But Kagome lived in the real world and Sessho was the type of man Kagome had spent most of her dating life avoiding, handsome man who asked women out only to stand them up if something better came along, or who automatically expected sex as payment for dinner and a movie.

Sessho leaned over and brushed her cheek with his lips. "What do ya say, Kagome? Am I a keeper?'

His touch sent a shiver of excitement racing through her Body, but Kagome kept a tight grip on her emotions, refusing to get sucked into whatever game he was playing.

Kagome turned toward him and trailed a finger down his cheek, hiding a smile at the surge of masculine interest in his eyes. "  
Ses-sho-maru Tashio, I'd be a fool to answer that question. You are already way too arrogant for your own good."

He laughed. "Arrogant or not, you know you still love me."

"Does the term 'in your dreams' mean anything to you?" Kagome shot back.

"Kagome." K's hand rose to her throat, her voice filled with shock.

"Don't worry, Kikyou." Sessho pulled Kagome close


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Inuyasha and characters or the this story because Cynthia Rutledge had wrote the story of Loving Grace.

Summary : Nurse Kagome Higurashi needed a date for Thanksgiving- fast!. When she prayed for a handsome prince, suddenly Mr. Charming himself, Dr. Sessho Tashio, appeared to escort her! At the feast, Sessho convinced everyone that he was Kagome's adoring boyfriend, the man she'd been waiting for- and she found herself hoping their pretend relationship would blossom into true love

--

Chapter Three

The steady rhythmic tick of the bedside clock filled Kagome's childhood bedroom. Though the aging mattress was comfortable, and the feather pillow fluffy, Kagome found it difficult to sleep.

Tomorrow afternoon, just after church, she and Sessho would head back to St. Louis. Never had four days flown by so quickly. It was hard to believe the weekend she'd dreaded for so long was over.

Having a "boyfriend" along had definitely put a halt to all those "When are you going to find someone?" questions. Unfortunately now she had a whole new set of questions to face.

In fact, Kagome had barely gotten through the introductions, when her sister had puller her aside and asked with barely concealed excitement, "Where did you find him? He's gorgeous."

Her mother had been more subtle. Though her eyes had been filled with curiosity, she'd patiently

waited until she and Kagome had alone in the kitchen. Then, casting a furtive look at the door, she'd lowered her voice and asked in an offhand tone, that Kagome guessed was anything offhand, if she and Sessho were serious.

It had been all Kagome could do to keep a straight face. She couldn't believe her mother was so gullible. She should know better. Handsome men weren't attracted to average women.

But Kagome had simply shrugged and said they had a good time together and who knew what might happen? After all, Sessho was putting on the performance of a lifetime. She couldn't blame her mother for a wondering if wedding bells weren't far off.

She'd tried to tell Sessho to tone it down a few degrees and that all he needed to pretend to be was her "good" friend, but he said it was more fun to pretend to be more

_More_

The word sent a tingle of excitement up Kagome's spine. All weekend she'd tried hard to not be affected by Sessho's casual displays of affection. But when he'd catch her eye and smile, or when he'd grab her hand and bring it to his lips, her heart had pounded so hard, she could barely breathe. She could scarcely imagine what would happen if he actually kissed her,_ really_ kissed her...

A light knock sounded at the door and Kagome jerked upright in bed.

"Are you awake?" Sessho's deep voice carried easily though the door.

Kagome hurriedly pushed back the quilted comforter. Her parents and aunt were just down the hall, and if they weren't already awake, they would be soon. What was Sessho doing at her bedroom door?

"Just a minuter." Unlike Sessho, Kagome spoke in hushed tones, loud enough for him to hear, but hopefully not loud enough to carry through the door and down the hall.

She swung her legs to the side of the bed and pushed her feet into a pair of pink furry slippers with bunny ears. Grabbing her chenille robe from the foot of the bed, she hurried across the shiny wood floor. By the time she reached the door, the belt of the robe was cinched tight ans her curiosity was fully aroused.

"Kagome?"

"Hold on." Wishing she had time for a quick look in the mirror, Kagome contented herself with just running her fingers though her hair. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the door open.

Sessho stood in the dimly lit hall, barefoot, dressed in a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants and a loose fitting T-shirt.

Kagome tilted her head. "What's up?"

The greeting came out casual and off hand, as if having a half-dressed man knocking on her bedroom door in the middle of the night was nothing out of the ordinary.

Sessho gave her a lazy smile and the dimple in his cheek flashed. His dark hair was mussed like he'd

just gotten up and hadn't taken the time to comb it. He looked, she thought, simply incredible. "Can I come in?"

A shiver traveled up Kagome's spine. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and invite him in. But she couldn't. It wouldn't be a smart move. And Kagome was a smart women. "Ummm, no."

Surprise flickered in his eyes and she could tell _no_ was a word he didn't usually hear from females. "We need to talk."

Kagome crossed her arms across her chest and shot him an impish smile. "Somehow I don't think talking is what you have in mind."

To her surprise, Sessho burst into laughter.

_Loud_ laughter.

Horrified, all Kagome could think of was her aunt just two doors down. She grabbed Sessho's arm and pulled hm into the door, shutting the door behind him.

"You have to keep it down," she said in a tense whisper. "You'll wake the whole house."

Sessho smiled, apparently not all worried by the possibility. "We're both adults. Anyway, do you really think your parents would be shocked to find a man in your bedroom?"

Kagome thought quickly. She didn't want to come across as a prude. "They don't believe in sex before marriage. This is their house."

"I realize this is their house," Sessho said. "But don't try to tell they believe you've never slept with a man."

"Of course they believe that." Kagome tried to still her rapidly beating pulse, but his closeness made that impossible.

Sessho started to chuckle, then stopped. He stared at Kagome for a long moment. "Is it true?"

She rolled her eyes an forced a laugh. "What do you think?"

It wasn't exactly lying. More like hedging. She hated to not tell the truth, but if she did, he'd think she was weird. Or frigid.

Sessho smiled.

Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

Suddenly unsure of her wisdom of her lie, Kagome nervously brushed a stand of hair back from her face. "I'm still waiting to hear why you're here."

"I couldn't sleep." His gaze remained fixed on hers. "I thought you might like to take a walk."

Kagome glanced at the bedside clock. "it's three-thirty in the morning."

"It's a beautiful night," Sessho said, flashing her an enticing smile. "Clear--"

"Cold."

"Minimal snow," Sessho continued without missing a beat. "Just grab--" his gaze lowered to her bunny slippers "--some shoes."

"Maybe Flopsy and Mopsy want to go for a walk." Kagome wiggled her feet back and forth, causing the long pink ears at the top of her slippers to wiggle.

Sessho chuckled.

Kagome smiled and leaned over, trying to fix Mopsy's bent ear. It took a few seconds -- one of the inside wires had started to protrude -- but when she straightened she found Sessho's gaze had not wavered. When she followed the direction of his gaze she realized it wasn't it wasn't the slippers that captured his attention, but something else. When she'd leaned over, her robe had fallen open, revealing she satin nightgown.

Her cheeks burning, Kagome casually reached up and adjusted the robe.

"I never pegged you for the satin type," Sessho said as if they discussing her taste in food rather than her taste in lingerie.

Kagome lifted a brow but remained silent, vaguely irritated by the comment, but not sure why.

Her gaze dropped to his flannel pants. They were a well-known a similar pair for her brother-in-law last month for his birthday.

'I guess we're even then," she said.

"Even?" His gaze grew puzzled.

"I never pegged you for the flannel kind of guy."

"I'm not." Sessho grinned. Surprisingly he didn't seem the least bit upset by her observation. "These were my one concession to the weekend."

"You bought new pajamas just for the weekend?" Kagome asked. "Why would you do that?"

Even as she asked the question, Kagome realized the answer. she lifted her gaze and could see the confirmation in Sessho's twinkling smile and wicked grin. So he normally slept... without pajamas.

Before she could process the information, he took a step closer and his hand briefly cupped her face.

Kagome knew Sessho was going to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes. And though she could have just taken a step back, Kagome didn't move an inch.

Because all weekend long she'd wanted this to happen. When she'd gone to be earlier she'd thought the opportunity had passed. Tomorrow they'd be back in St. Louis. He'd go his way. She'd go hers.

Now it appeared she was being given another chance. An unexpected opportunity to assuage her curiosity about kissing Sessho Tashio.  
Sessho now stood so close she couldn't help but breathe in his delicious scent. He wasn't wearing cologne, but the mixture of the shampoo and soap he used was better than any bottled aroma.

Kissing him in her bedroom might not be the smartest thing to do, but Kagome didn't worry about things getting out of hand. After all, she was curious, nothing more.

But when his hand gently brushed her hair from her face, her breath caught in throat. And when his lips gently brushed hers then pulled back, she quivered with disappointment. That wasn't the type of kiss see expected. She'd wanted...

Suddenly his lips returned, moving gently against hers as if he expected her to shut him down at any

minute. Kagome found the slight hesitation strangely endearing.  
She looped for her arms around his neck and his arms tightened about her. There was now no space between them, no way they could get any closer.

Kagome absorbed the feel of him, the way his muscles flexed beneath her palms, the slight of whisker stubble against her cheek.

Her fingers wove their way through the soft texture of his hair as his mouth closed over hers.

This time his lips lingered, caressing her mouth, drawing her into a whirling spiral of emotions and sensation she'd never felt before. She returned his kisses breathlessly, barely conscious of the fact that while they were kissing, his hands were gentle caressing her shoulders and stroking her back.

Kagome shivered, the response at odds with the heat searing her skin. Though she knew she should end this madness now, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not yet.

Her heart raced and she struggled to keep her breathing steady as his lips closed over hers again.

Then he deepened the kiss and her world exploded. It was like she was drowning and soaring at the same time. She moaned, a low sound that astonished her with it's intensity. Dazed and breathing hard, Kagome pulled away.

"Kagome?" Sessho's eyes were so dark, they almost looked black.

Kagome shifter her gaze and crossed her arms, a chill traveling through her body. What had she been thinking? it was bad enough she'd let Sessho into her room knowing his reputation. But to kiss him like that...

She drew a ragged breath. "I think you'd better..."

"Kagome." A sharp rap sounded at the door. "Is everything okay?"

_Aunt K._

Kagome's hear stopped even as her mind raced. She couldn't let K find Sessho in her bedroom. Her aunt was old school. She'd never understand it was all completely innocent.

"Everything fine, Aunt K." Kagome moved to the door and forced a reassuring tone.

"But I heard noises," K said. "I was worried."

Kagome slanted a glance back at Sessho. He looked like every woman's fantasy standing next to her bedpost, his arms crossed against his chest. If her aunt was worried now, what would she be if she found Sessho in her niece's bedroom?

"There's nothing to worry about," Kagome said, leaning her head against the door, the words flowing easily despite the tightness in her throat. "I was having difficulty sleeping, so I got up. I'm sorry if my moving about woke you, I'll try to be more quiet."

There was silence on the other side of the door and for a second, Kagome thought she was home free. Her aunt would go back to her own room and Sessho would go back to his. She would go back to her own bed and try forget how close she'd come to disaster.

"May I come in for second?" K asked.

Though her aunt had phased the request as a question, the tone was more along the lines of "Open the door-I'm coming in."

Kagome stifled a groan and glanced around the room. Though hiding a man in the closet seemed a bit melodramatic, Kagome didn't have a choice.

The situation reminded Kagome of a soap opera. And some might even find it amusing. But Kagome didn't see anything even remotely funny about her current predicament.

"Let me just grab my robe." Kagome said, stalling for time.

She padded silently across the room to the louvered closet door and gestured to Sessho.

He stared, but didn't move.

"Get inside." she mouthed, pointing first at hm and then at the closet.

For a moment, Kagome thought he wasn't going to comply. But the look in her eye have convinced him of the closet and let her shut the door.

Kagome cinched the robe tight about her and squared her shoulders. Then, feeling like Daniel about to face the lions, she opened the bedroom door.

--

Sessho sat on the cold hardwood floor and knew he had to be dreaming. What other reason would there be for a respected physician and surgeon to be hiding in a closet?

It wasn't as if he was fooling around with a married woman, something he'd never consider doing. Marriage vows were sacred.

He glance around the half-empty closet. Personally he thought Kagome was being ridiculous. But he'd seen the determined look on her face and he knew she'd never forgive him if he didn't go along.

Sessho had to smile. He was learning that with Kagome, you never knew quite what to expect. He still couldn't believe he'd worked with her. He'd been intrigued from the start. And with that copper-colored hair and big green eyes, she'd been hard to miss. But she'd always been all business.

When they'd said good night earlier this evening and gone to their separate bedrooms, he'd had the feeling that whatever had existed between them this weekend was over. Tomorrow he'd go back to his life and she'd go back to hers. it would be as if this time together had never happened.

And that made him sad. This weekend had been a revelation. The more he'd gotten to know Kagome, the more he'd realized how much they had in common.

Unfortunately, Kagome didn't seem to feel the same way. Sessho hated to say it, but Kouga had been right. Kagome didn't like him. Not very much anyway.

It was puzzling. To his knowledge, he'd never done anything to offend her. And this weekend, he'd played the part of adoring boyfriend with such passion he'd thought she'd have been pleased.

But though she smiled up at him and let him hold her hand whenever he'd wanted, emotionally she'd kept her distance. And that drove him crazy.

He'd come to her room, for what he wasn't quite sure. Maybe to clear the air. Maybe to find some common ground. Maybe to sneak a few kisses. But when he'd seen the satin nightgown against all that creamy freckle-spattered skin, he'd wanted to do more than just kiss her. It had been a long time since he'd felt such an overwhelming need.

Oh, he'd dated lots of women but could count on one hand the ones he'd been intimate with. He was very particular got involved with. He wanted a relationship, not a quick fling.

"People thought you'd made up a boyfriend." Though K spoke in low tones, her voice carried clearly though the slats in the closet door.

"Did they?" Kagome's laugh sounded forced. "I can't imagine why."

"It can be quite a blow when the youngest sister marries first," K said. "And then when she has a child..."

"It doesn't bother me," Kagome said quickly, too quickly.

"Not at all?" K's tone was clearly skeptical.  
"Not at all." Kagome said firmly.

Sessho smiled. He didn't know who was more stubborn, Kagome or her aunt K.

"Of course, you've got Sessho." K said in a conversation tone.

"That's right," K said after what seemed like a long silence. "I've got Sessho."

Sessho released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. It was a forced admission and one that meant nothing.

But it was a start. Something to build on. Because Sessho was certain what he'd told Kouga was the truth. Kagome didn't like him because she didn't really know him.

That's why he had to figure out a way to keep seeing her when they returned to St. Louis.

Time was what he needed.

Unfortunately, right now it was the one thing he didn't have.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Inuyasha and characters or the this story because Cynthia Rutledge had wrote the story of Loving Grace.

Summary : Nurse Kagome Higurashi needed a date for Thanksgiving- fast!. When she prayed for a handsome prince, suddenly Mr. Charming himself, Dr. Sessho Tashio, appeared to escort her! At the feast, Sessho convinced everyone that he was Kagome's adoring boyfriend, the man she'd been waiting for- and she found herself hoping their pretend relationship would blossom into true love

--

Chapter Four

K's youngest niece popped her head into the kitchen where K sat sipping a cup of Earl Grey. "Have you seen my mother?"

K glanced yp from the Milestones section of the _Des Moines Register. _

"She ran next door for a few minuters." When Sango lingered in the doorway, K laid the paper down and turned her attention from the weding and anniversary announcements to her niece. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Not really." Sango shook her head, "Kirara has some red bumps on her bottom and I wanted Mom to see them before I ger her dressed."

K almost said that it sounded like diaper rush and that she'd be glad to take a look. But at the last minuter, she bit back the words. Sango obviously wanted to tap into her mother's experience - a women who'd raised two childred - rather than settle for the opinion of a childless aunt. The fact that K had helped raise both Sango and her sister wouldn't make a difference; she wasn't a _mother_.

"I'll tell Margaret to come to your room the minuter she gets back." K shot her clearly worried niece a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Kirara will be fine until then."

The concern that had gripped Sango's pretty face eased. Though Sango had just turned twenty six, K couldn't help but think Sango looked much too young to have a husband and baby.

"That'd be great." Sango said. "I need to finish getting ready for church anyway. You can't believe how much work it is to get a baby bathed and dressed."

K just smiled. Any infant was a lot of work, but Sango and Miroku had been blessed. Kirara was a placid, good natured baby who only cried when she needed to be changed or fed. Not all babies were so easy.

K's thoughts drifted back to her first vision of Kagome, screaming and waving her little hands in the hospital nursery. Her face had been almost as red as her hair. Up to that point K had been the only redhead in the family. She'd fallen in love with her new niece instantly.

In fact, K had celebrated her thirtieth birthday walking the floor with the colicky infant . Mardaret had been in bed with the flu and Hal, Margaret's husband, had been out of town.

Even though she didn't get much sleep that night, K had love every minuter of it. In the still, dark house, for that brief moment in time, K had pretended God had answered her prayers and given her a child of her own.

It was a brief respite from the fear that had dogged her thoughts every time she'd thought of her birthday. The realization that she was starting her fourth decade on earth had forced K to take atock of her situation all those years ago.

At thirty she had been definitely past her prime. She had known the odds were high that a Prince Charming would never come to her door, that there would not be any babies for her to love, that she would spend the rest of her life alone.

It was different now; women married later and had children well into thier thirties and forties.

But back then the realization that life had passed her by had been hard to bear. She only had to look at her sister's life to see what could have been.

Because not only did God bless her sister with one baby, several years later, he blessed her with another little girl. Sango was born shortly after Kagome's fourth birthday, with a head full of curly blond hair and a sweet, sunny disposition. Everyone adored Sango and K was no excepion. But it was the more serious, sensitive older child who held K's heart in the palm of her head.

Maybe it was because K understood Kagome's awkward shyness. After all she'd been burdened with the same malady. Maybe it was because K had also been a studious "bookworm" as a child. Or maybe it was because she could identify with Kagome's pain. No one knew better than K how hard it could be to grow up in the shadpw of a beautiful and popular younger sister.

At Sango's wedding five years ago, K's tears of joy were mixed with sadness. Kagome was the oldest. She should have married first.

_Just like I should have been married before Margaret._

In the last few years K had started to worry kagome might be headed down the same lonely path she'd traveled. But when Kagome had shown up this weekend with an eligible bachelor on her arm, K had experienced a resurgence of hope.

She'd tried not to get too exited because Kagome had introduced him only as her "friend" and not as her "fiance". But even thought he hadn't yet put a ring on her finger, K could see that Sesshomaru was a good, decent man who truly cared for her niece. Though she knew it might be a bit premature, K couldn't help mentally jotting down a few names for the wedding guest list.

As far as K was concerned, wedding bells couldn't be far off. Her vision might not be twenty twenty anymore but she could see the way Sesshomaru's eyes glowed when he looked at Kagome.

He admired her.

He adored her.

He desired her.

K's lips tightened as a aurge of motherly protectiveness raced through her. Desire was all well and good... If a coulpe were married. But Sesshomaru and Kagome weren't, not yet anyway, and his sneaking into Kagome's room in the middle of the night had to stop. Nothing good came of intimacy before marriage.

K suspected that bridge hadn't yet been crossed, but she wasn't sure how long her niece could hold out. The air fairly sizzled when the two of them were together. Though Kagome had been taught right from wrong, Sesshomaru was a handsome, charming man and K feared the temptation might prove too great.

If Kagome were living in town, Sesshomaru could act as a chaperone and keep things in check until vows were spoken. But with Kagome living St. Louis, K was powerless to help.

Unless...

K shifted in her chair. Hadn't her docter suggested she consult a specialist about her knee problems? And hadn't Kagome once told her the medical care in St. Louis was second to none?

Though K normally liked to stay put in the cold weather, she was suddenly in the moo to travel. And at this point she couldn't think of a place she'd rather be than St. Louis.

--

The minister's message had centered around one of KAgome's favorite Bible passages, but now, standing outside the white clapboard struture, Kagome couldn't remember a single word of the sermon. And if she had to blame someone for her inattention, it would have to be Sessho.

First, she'd gotten almost no rest last night. Though Sessho had left shortly after Aunt K, Kagome had found it difficult to sleep. The unfamiliar sensations that he'd awakened hed been difficult to quiet.

Then he'd come down the stairs this morning in a dark suit she swore was hand tailored. It had been the first time she'd seen him "dressed up". Her breath had caught in her throat. Had there ever been a better-looking man? She realized to her horror that she'd been staring when he'd given her a wink and that cute little dimple in his left cheek had flashed.

It had been downhill from there. Since the community church was only a few blocks away and the weather was a balmy fifty, they'd decided to walk. Sessho had insisted on taking her arm. And he'd insisted on teasing her the enity way to the church. Even though she didn't think she looked "especially beautiful" or "delightfully sexy," his outrageous compliments had thrown her off balance.

By the time they'd gotten to the church, the service was ready to start and they'd had to squeeze into one of the far abck pews. Sessho's leg had been ressed so tightly against hers that they might have been fused together. Just the thought of being that close to Sessho did funny things to her insides and make it difficlt to give her full attention to the church's mission challenges in Haiti.

And now he stood in the shadow of the cross, with his hand proproetarily on her waist, conversing with people she'd known all her life, giving them the impression they were... a couple.

_But that's why he'ds here. That's why you brought him with you._

But I didn't think it would be like this, Kagome wanted to say. I didn't think it would be this hard.

Even to a cynic like her, Sessho's execllent acting abilities made it all too believable.

"Where do you attend church, Mr Tashio?" Pastor Steve's question brought Kagome back to the present with a jerk.

Kagome held her breath, wondering what he'd say. She and Sessho had never discussed faith issues. After all, it wasn't as if they were really dating. And there had been more pressing issues related to the weekend that took priority when they'd been getting acquainted. But now Kagome wished she'd could only pray he wasn't an atheist, or if he was that he was smart enough not to mention the fact.

"King of Kings in St. Louis," Sessho said. "I'm sure you haven't heard of but.."

"Acutually I know the church quite weel," Pastor Steve interrupted. "One of my friends from the seminary, John Richards, is the head of the music ministry there."

"Pastor Richards has done a fabulous job with that program,'' Sessho said with an easy smile. "My sister-in-law Kaede is really into music and does a lot of work with John."

The two men continued talking. Kagome could only start. Sessho had surprised her once again.

"I wouldered if he was a Christian," K said, nodding her approval, and Kagome realized with a start that K was standing right beside her. "I guess I have my answer."

"What does it matter?" Kagome murmured to herself, knowing once this weekend was over, her encounters with "Dr. Sess" would be confined to the third Tuesday of every month when he did his specialy clinic.

"What does it matter?" K's eyes widened and her voice rose. "if you and Sesshomaru are considering a future together, it means everything."

But we aren't, Kagome wanted to cry out. Aunt K needed to wake up smell the coffee. Men like Sessho Tashio could have any woman they wanted.

Suddenly Kagome was tired of all the subterfuge. The weekend was over and she was ready for the lies to end. "It doesn't matter because I don't think Sessho and I will be together much longer."

Though Kagome had intended the wispered declaration to be matter-of-fact, the heavy sigh punctuating the words gave them a melancholy feel.

k's brow furrowed. She reached over and patted Kagome's arm in an awkward gesture of comfort. "If God intends for you to be with Sessomaru, you'll be with him."

"That's a good thought," Kagome said, her heart warmed by her aunt's support, however misguided. "But Sessho's just not my type of guy."

_Or point to the point, I'm not his type of woman._

"Has he been pushing you to be intimate?" Though K spoke in a normal conversational tone, her gaze was shape and assessing.

Kagome's mouth dropped open. Then, regaining her composure she snapped her mouth shut and glanced around, hoping no one had heard the ridiculous question.

Unfortunately, like Kagome's, her aunt's voice had always had a tendency to carry. And, coupled with the clear crisp autumn air and a lull in the surrounding conversations, the question rang out over the assembled throung.

Her parents turned as one and her father's eyes took on a protective gleam. Pastor Steve raised a brow. Sango gave a nervous giggle.

Kagome could feel her face heat up and the only thing she could think of was Sessho in her bedroom last night.

"No, no of course not." Kagome stumbled over the words, and even to her own ears she sounded unconvincing.

Thankfully, Sessho refused to let her flounder. Though his eyes showed no trace of amusement, he chuckled. "What a ridiculous question. I repect Kagome too much to ever push her to do something both of us know is wrong."

His tone was strong and firm, and if Kagome didn't know better, even she would have believed him.

She couldn't help but be relived when the tense look on her father's face eased and her mothers expelled the breah she must have holding.

"I hope that's true," K said, a silken thread of suspicion running though her woeds, leaving Kagome to wonder if her aunt's "innocent" late-night visit might not have been quite so innocent after all.

Still, Kagome shot her aunt a quelling glare. If k had concerns, this was neither the time nor the place to air them.

Sessho's gaze hardened. His arm rose to loop protectively about Kagome's shoulders even as his gaze remained fixed on her aunt. "Kikyou."

The single word spoke volumes.

K stared at Sessho for a long moment. "If I judged you wrongly, I'm sorry."

It was a small concession, but Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. Sessho's arm relaxed against her shoulders and Kagome realized that he'd been as unsure as she how K would respond.

Giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Sessho turned his attention back to the minister as if their conversation had never been interrupted, leaving Kagome alone with her aunt.

"What were you thinking of?" kagome said in a low tone betwaan gritted teeth, even as she waved goodbye to a couple of high school friends across the parking lot.

K's face reddened. "I didn't realized I'd spoken so loud."

But Kagome refused to let her aunt off the hook so easily. "Why even bring it up? And in front of the whole town, no less."

Though k had backed down from Sessho, something in Kagome's voice reignited the fire in her eyes. "Don't you talk to me in that tone, young lady. I am your aunt and deserving of your respect."

Kagome could see aunt was getting wrked up and at any minute she expected Leviticus 19:32 to be quoted. But Kagome didn't care. K had embarrassed her. And she wasn't about to act like it didn't matter.

"Don't talk to me about respect," Kagome said in a low tone, her gaze shifting to make sure no one was near enouh to overhear. "You're the one who implied that I'm sleeping with Sessho."

Even as Kagome said the words, she knew they were a bit an exaggeration. But they were close enough.

"Are you?" This time K kept her her voice to a mere whisper. "Have you and Sesshomaru?"

"No," Kagome said, cutting her aunt off. "No, we're not. And while we're talking about this, I don't know why you're even asking me such a question. Did you ask Sango that when she and Miroku were dating?"

"I did not." K's green eyes met Kagome's . "I had no reason to suspect..."

"You have no reason..."

"...because I never saw Miroku sneaking out of Sango's room in the middle of the night." K completed the sentence as if she' never been interrupted.

K stifled a groan even as she lifted her chin. "He wante me to take a walk with him."

"He had on pajamas," K said.

"They were flannel..." Kagome starte to explain, then gave up. "Believe what you want. It was all quite innocent."

"A man in a woman's bedroom is never completely innocent," K said emphatically. "Can you honestly tell me you weren't tempted at all by..."

"He didn't pressure me," Kagome said sharply, knowing she hadn't answered her aunt's question, but not Caring. "That's what I said and that's what I meant. I refuse to discuss this another second."

"Okay." K sxpelled a heavy sigh. "But remember that God said we should not put ourselves in the way of temptation. In the furture, if Sesshomaru comes knocking on your door in the middle of the night, you shut the door in his face."

Just the idea of such an action should have been laughable, but Kagome didn't feel like laughing. Because what K didn't understand was once Kagome returned to St. Louis, Sessho wouldn't be at her door ever again.

"Okay, Aunt K, I promise," Kagome said. "If Sessho ever comes by in the midle of the night again, I'll slam the door in his face."

"That's my girl." K patted Kagome's arm. "In the end he'll respect you for it."

"He'll do what?"

Kagome turned in surprise. Apparently Sessho must have concluded his conversation with the minister and had shifted his focus back to Kagome and K. She wasn't sure how he'd heard of their conversation but she definitely wasn't going to rehash it.

"I'm hoping you can refer me to a doctor in St. Louis," K said. "To someone you know who is good with knees."

The request was so totally unexpected that not only, but also Kagome, was taken aback.

"I though you just had surgery," Kagome siad.

"I did," K answered. "But my knee isn't coming along as well as the docter hoped and he thinks I need to see a specialist."

Kagome's gaze shifted to Sessho. "Do you know of someone?"

He nodded/ "I have quite a few colleagues who specialize in knee problems."

"But they're all in St. Louis," Kagome siad. "There has to be someone closer you could see..."

"Of course there is," K said with a dismissive wave. "But I don't know those people. Sesshomaru is in that field. I trust his recommendation."

"St. Louis is a long ways from here," Kagome said, pointing out the obvious weakness in her aunt's argument. "How are you going to get there? Where will you stay?"

"Oh, my dear," K said, casting Kagome a pitying look as if the answer was so simple, she was a fool for not seeing it. "I'll ride back ith you two. And I thought I'd stay with Sesshomaru. That is , if he'll have me atfer my faux pas this afternoon. I'm not sure at this point that I'd able to handle those steps at your apartment."

The horrified look o Kagome's face brought a smile to Sessho's lips. Though Kagome had grown up around her aunt, he could tell Kagome still hadn't figured the woman out.

But he had. This maneuver was clearly designed to keep him and Kagome togther. After all, if K was living with him, Kagome would see him every time she saw her aunt. The woman definitely had a evious mind when it came to matchmaking.

No wonder he'd liked her instantly.

"Aunt K, I'm sure Sessho doesn't want..."

Sessho waved aside Kagome's words. He shifted his gaze to the woman staring at him with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

He and K were on the same wavelength. How could he not go along with her plan? Sessho smiled. "My house is your house."


End file.
